Going Deep
by Welcome to our Disaster
Summary: Few things had ever intimidated Elina. The sparse handful was nothing out of the norm. Grades. The occasional responsibility. Formerly spiders, even. This, however, was the first time she had been intimidated by something this irrevocably simple. True, grades and some others had been common, but not quite this mundane and clichéd. Transferring schools, on the other hand...
1. Chapter 1

Few things had ever intimidated Elina.

The sparse handful was nothing out of the norm. Grades. The occasional responsibility. Formerly spiders, even.

This, however, Elina mused, was the first time she had been intimidated by something _this irrevocably simple._ True, grades and some other things had been common, but not quite this mundane and clichéd. Transferring schools, on the other hand-

Elina's eyes slammed shut and she winced. It really _was_ a simple thing. She should be able to do it. It wasn't like she had anybody but Dandelion before.

But today wasn't the day to _do._ No, Elina had resolved to use this day to the maximum, to relegate herself to an observer, watching and learning the ways of the school. She wouldn't be outsider for long.

It wasn't that she was particularly shy or submissive, just particular to the point of being paranoid. You had to _make_ success. And Elina would. She just needed to know what success _was_ in this new environment.

The sheer bus stopped in front of her as she thought this, puffing out bits of smoke as it ground to a halt. Elina could glimpse other students, sheltered within the tinted windows. It was now or never.

Elina hoisted her bag further upwards on her shoulder, took a deep breath, then stepped onto the massive bus with a small lurch.

"Name?" Asked the bus driver politely.

"Elina. I'm coming to tenth grade?"

"Ah, right here. Welcome aboard! The name's Hue if you need anything."

"Thank you." Elina smiled, then walked down the daunting corridor splitting the bus. Elina decided on sitting in the back, deciding it would suit her purposes of observation. It could also give her some peace and quiet before she had to immerse herself in school once again.

The bus moved forwards near seamlessly, pulling into the heavily trafficked road. Elina turned to the window, blankly staring out of it for awhile. The bus stopped, then started a few times, and a couple of students boarded. Nothing too interesting, or even noteworthy, Elina decided, until a certain yell broke into her musings.

"I'M TOO HOT!"

Elina turned from the window to see a flamboyant, tan boy, leaping onto the bus with his arms outstretched.

"HOT DAMN!" Chorused the rest of the bus, cheering and accepting his high fives as he made his way down the aisle. Elina turned away, somewhat confused by the alien custom.

"Well well well! Who might you be?" Elina turned back around. He had stopped at Elina's seat, peering down at her with a hand on his hip.

"Oh! Nice to meet you. My name's Elina." She replied, as cordially as humanly possible. He grinned and slid into the seat.

"Well, _Elina,_ it's very nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll have a lovely _relationship_ from here on out." He winked.

" _NALUUUUUU."_ The bus protested, jeering at him.

"Wha-at?" He asked gamely, playing the crowd.

"Don't pick on the new girl." A stern voice said in front of them. "I'm sure she can live _without_ your help." The girl seated in front of them turned in her seat, facing Nalu with a half-serious glare.

" _Excuse_ me, Glee, I'm certain Elina likes me. Right Elina?"

"Of course!" Elina said without thinking. "I'm ready to be anybody's friend!"

"Well here's a news flash for ya- he doesn't _want_ to be your friend." A well-dressed boy with headphones encircling his neck made it to their part of the bus. He scooted in next to Glee, eyes locked on a computer he was carrying.

"Wha-" Elina stared at Nalu, but then resolved to turn back to the window. "Nevermind."

She mounted her chin on her fist, staring out the window as pieces of the conversation drifted her way.

 _"_ _You just have to ruin everything, don't ya Linden?"_

 _"_ _It's not his fault you're notorious."_

 _"_ _Notorious?!"_

 _"_ _New girl every week, dumping 'em as soon as you can land a new one."_

 _"_ _That's rude."_

 _"_ _You're rude."_

 _"_ _Hmph."_

She shook her head slightly, trying to clear it of the shallow exchange between Nalu and Glee. What kind of school was this?

Peering out of the window, Elina caught herself staring at a motorcyclist. The rider was particularly skilled, swiping the machine around the road effortlessly. The only feature visible from her all-black ensemble was a long blue braid, rippling in the oppressive wind.

Elina bit back a sigh. What she wouldn't give to be so carefree, so unburdened, so-

"Attention, students!" Hue's voice crackled over the intercom. "We are arriving at school. Please grab your bags."

A bronze hand reached below their adjoined seat, grabbing her bag and handing it to her.

"Your parcel, madam." Nalu held the pale pink bag out to her, a goofy expression dancing around his face.

"Thank you." Elina simply replied, taking it.

"See? She does like me!" Nalu directed at Glee.

"Common courtesy and preference are two _very_ seperate things, Nalu."

"Save it for the theater Glee. Today, you've lost!" Nalu proclaimed with a childish brand of joy.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Glee replied with a smirk, shuffling into the cramped line of students trying to leave the bus. Linden turned and clapped in approval, and Nalu's mouth compressed itself into a thin line.

"Come on, Elina." He left their seat. Seeing literally no other choice, Elina followed him off the bus.

They slowly moved through the bus, clogged with students all trying to disembark. Elina rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet expectantly when the line was too stagnant. The bus now seemed small and cramped, filled to the brim with sweaty, tired teenagers.

 _Finally._ Elina found herself at the front of what couldn't even be called a line anymore. She waved to Hue, thanking him, then turned back to the crisp, fresh air and blue sky. It was time to begin a year.

Suddenly, a loud roaring sliced into her thoughts. Elina whipped around, searching for the source of the noise. It sounded almost like-

At that very moment, a motorcycle burst onto the deserted parking lot. It rose onto one wheel, not hesitating for an instant as it slammed back down to the pavement with a satisfying smack. The vehicle neatly slid into the space next to the bus, the driver sliding off in a single, surprisingly well-executed move. Her hands moved to grip her helmet, cleanly sliding the shiny black guard off. She tucked the headgear under her arm, shifting her gaze upwards as her dark blue braid gently waved in the breeze.

Elina gaped, her mouth dropping. The motorcyclist from earlier went _here?_

"Nori!" Nalu waved from behind Elina, yelling repeatedly to the girl.

"Stuff it Nalu. I can see you." She replied coolly, sauntering over to the bus with her helmet still niched between her arm and hip. "Who's the new girl?"

"Elina. She's a transfer. Whadaya think?"

Nori stroked her chin with her free hand, thin eyebrows arching in thought. "Pretty cute. Better than some of your other choices, but still nowhere close to being me."

" _Tease_." Nalu rolled his eyes. Despite her rule to observe, Elina felt somewhat uncomfortable with them discussing her, so she tried to change the subject.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Nori." She extended a hand. "You seem pretty good with that motorcycle."

"Pfft, yeah, I guess." Nori blushed slightly. "Nice to meet you too. Just do yourself a favor, and stay away from pretty boy over here." She raised an eyebrow in Nalu's direction.

"Hey!" Nalu yelled. "That's a fine thing to say to your _best friend!_ "

"Believe me," Nori turned back to Elina. "It'll make your life easier."

With that she whipped around and stalked away, hips swinging slightly in rhythm with her azure braid.

"I may not be that close to Nori, but she's definitely right about Nalu." Elina turned around to see Glee behind them, arms crossed and glaring at Nalu.

"Well I certainly didn't see _you_ sitting next to Elina on the bus!" Nalu fired back, putting his arm around Elina.

"Somehow I don't see you having her best interests at heart." Glee stepped forwards. "Come on Elina!" She shoved Nalu's arm from off of Elina's shoulder, took her hand, and they walked off. Elina only had to question again.

 _What kind of school is this?_


	2. Chapter 2

"In here!" Glee whispered breathlessly, her face shining with a kind of daring that could only mean trouble. She held a door open, waiting for Elina to join her inside.

"Where are we?" Elina asked, following the girl through the heavy black door.

"The best place in the school. Or _ever_. Whichever suits you." Glee said almost dreamily, hands clasped and a sappy smile stretching across her face.

 _That doesn't answer much._ Elina thought to herself, mimicking Glee's steps farther and farther into the dark corridor.

The two then reached a break in the hallway, opening up to a gargantuan room. Blinking at a blinding white light, Elina shaded her eyes with a hand as she tried to make head or tails of the room.

Strobe lights dangled above her, illuminating her and Glee. She could see multicolored tape peeling from the darkly colored floor, fringed X's and lines set out all around her. Rows and rows of chairs were laid out before her, standing on a raised platform. That was when it hit her.

"The _theatre._ " She gasped in realization, turning back to Glee. The other girl had her arms spread out, twirling around the stage in ecstasy.

"The theatre." Glee repeated happily. "Welcome home, Glee!"

She rushed to the front of the stage, taking a deep bow. Elina laughed quietly.

"I take it you're an actress?" She asked, joining Glee at the edge of the stage.

"Yeah. I love this like no other thing I've ever done." Glee replied, still in awe of her homecoming. She sank to the floor, legs dangling over the stage.

"Never really tried it." Elina admitted, joining her on the floor.

" _Ohmigosh you have to!"_ Glee spurted, delicate hands clasping Elina's upper arm and shaking her. Elina laughed, half-heartedly shoving her away.

"I guess I could. Not like I'm doing anything else with my free time." Elina mused. Glee _was_ her only friend, after all. Well, the only friend she explicitly trusted at this point.

" _YES!_ " Glee squealed. "Oh, you'll love it! The stories and the music and the fun and the _audience_ and the-"

Glee halted in her tracks, hearing a soft throat clearing noise from the mess of chairs.

"What are you girls doing in here?" The voice spoke now, disciplinary words conflicting with a kindly tone.

"AZURA!" Glee yelled, hopping off the stage and dashing towards the woman. She barreled into her, enveloping Azura in a tight hug.

"Glee! It's so good to see you!" Azura hugged her student back. "How was your summer?"

"Alright. I definitely missed this theatre!" Glee turned away from the teacher, her arm still wrapped around Azura's shoulders as she gestured to the space around them.

"I thought you might." Azura laughed. She then squinted slightly, trying to make out the girl still awkwardly seated on the stage. "Who's your new friend?"

"Oh! Azura," Glee had run back to the stage, and was now shepherding Elina towards the teacher. "this is Elina! She's new here. I thought she might want to join theatre!"

"Well don't _pressure_ her into this." Azura said gently. "And it's nice to meet you, Elina."

"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Azura." Elina bowed her head, trying for politeness. Azura chucked.

"No need for that sort of thing, Elina. You can just call me Azura. I'm a teaching assistant, and I sponsor theatre here." She said gently.

"Oh! Alright." Elina said, accepting the Azura's warm handshake.

"Now you two had better run along. The first assembly starts in five minutes." Azura warned them.

" _Five minutes?_ " Elina and Glee yelled in unison, turning to face one another. They turned and dashed towards the exit, panting heavily.

"And for the record, you're not allowed to come into the theatre alone like this!" Azura called at their retreating backs.

"Right!" Glee wheezed back, followed by the slam of a door as the friends ran to the assembly.


End file.
